Arabba Ski Holiday Resort

Overview

Arabba is a beautiful village of traditional feel with low rise buildings comprising of smaller hotels, pensions, apartments and chalets. The local church dominates the centre with forests surrounding the outskirts of the town. When returning from Arabba we guarantee that the adjectives you will be using will be "tradition", "charm", "rustic", and "quaint". Some may prefer the ritz and glamour of Courchevel but Snowfinders love it here in this friendly village full of locals.

The resort sits as the second highest village in the Sella Ronda ski circuit at 1600m and offers the quickest and easiest access to the Marmolada glacier which extends the skiing up to 3342m. With a lift pass that covers 1220km of piste you are sure to be suitably entertained for the whole of your ski holiday here. The Dolomites are noted for their beauty and unusual pink rock structure; something that is very different from the standard Alpine topography. The Porta Vescovo, sitting just above Arabba at 2600m, is a mountain that is particularly noted for it's beauty and also it's scenic views across the Dolomites.

This area has given rise to "gastro-skiing" as the restaurants in the Sella Ronda are some of the very best in Europe. If you give up on the skiing, you can certainly perfect the eating here!

Beginners may opt for easier options but if you are sharing the holiday with other differing standards then it isn't a no-go resort. The beginners area adjacent to the Burz lift is good and the ski school gets excellent reports too. Progression from this area is a little bit of a jump but with the typical Italian instructor, lessons will be informal and fun - a perfect combination for development.

Intermediates will adore the skiing here. Most of Arabba's slopes are suited to the higher end of the intermediate level but that shouldn't put off those at the lower end of the spectrum. It is swift and simple to get to the easier runs. Any standard of intermediate will be able to do the famous Sella Ronda circuit and this can take anything from 3.5 hours to 6 hours depending on how busy it is and if you are stopping for drinks and lunch etc. The First World War Circuit is also one of the most interesting ski routes in the world that takes in battlefields, historical war artefacts, bunkers, and even underground passageways.

Advance skiers will delight in the above runs but in addition will love the on-piste challenges directly above the resort. Arabba has steep slopes to rival those of Selva/Val Gardena. The north-facing blacks and reds from Porta Vescovo offer genuine challenges and there is tempting off-piste terrain too.

Offslope/apres ski

For non-skiers there isn't a huge amount of diversions. In terms of winter sports there are good guided walking trails, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. In the resort there is an ice rink and a selection of shops, bars and restaurants.

Apres-ski is low key with relaxed bars rather than banging clubs. The mountain top Bar Plan Boe rocks from mid afternoon with loud music before the final ski into resort. Bar Peter and The Stube are always good with the former favouring cheesy Eurorock. Although options are no where near as diverse as somewhere like Val d'Isere you will find bars friendlier, and it is far easier to meet and talk to people with a great international mix.

Our View

Pretty and scenic, why not try the true Italian ski experience in this fabulous ski area. Arabba may not be able to compete with Courchevel in name but in experience it will surprise many. If you want glamour then go elsewhere but if you seek charm and tradition then book now!